Top 10 Menu Items: Chick-fil-A

If we are gonna do “Best of” and “Top 10” lists, we might as well start at the top of the chicken food pyramid. I remember going to the mall as a kid and whenever we were there around lunch/dinner time, I always wanted Chick-fil-A. It was yummy. It was unlike any other fast food chicken. And you could only get it in malls. I don’t know when or why Chick-fil-A decided to change their strategy and open up retail storefronts, but that will undoubtedly go down as one of the most important days of my life (currently it is slightly behind the birth of my daughters and wedding day to finish just out of the medal count).

If you are in an area that does not have a Chick-fil-A and have never had food from here, let me recommend that you plan your next vacation and corresponding meal schedule around a location that has one and use this trusty guide when ordering:

10. Chick-fil-A Chicken Biscuit

Chicken…what a great way to start your morning! My freshman dorm at Clemson (Johnstone F, which is now a grass field) was located across from The Canteen that had a Chick-fil-A inside it. This was my motivation to get up and go to those 8:00classes. Oh, I could never make it before class, but dreams of eating Chick-fil-A after class would at least keep me upright during Calculus 101.

9. Lemonade

Yes, I am broad-minded enough to include non-chicken items on this list. They make their own and you can tell its not out of a soda fountain. I always hesitate to order it when I’m thirsty or to accompany a meal because I feel just as thirsty after drinking lemonade as I do before drinking it.

8. Spicy Chicken Cool Wrap

Occasionally I get motivated to choose a healthy option and this is certainly one of the best options. The cool of the wrap ingredients combined with the kick of spicy seasoning is a good team.

7. Fudge Nut Brownie

I am not a big dessert fan at all, but this brownie is legit if you need a chocolate fix. I only wish you could order without nuts, then it would be perfect.

6. Chargrilled Chicken Sandwich

A great, healthy grilled sandwich. One of the few fast food sandwiches I can order and eat with the standard toppings as show on the menu. I will dip it in sauce from time to time, but it is a great tasting, healthy option.

5. Spicy Chicken Sandwich

Those who know me and my inclination for spicy food may find this low ranking to be an upset. Don’t get my wrong, this is a great product. In fact, it inspired me to start this website because I was so excited once I heard Chick-fil-A was coming out with this I thought everyone needed to know. I think the bar set by the original sandwich was so high that I expected the spicy chicken sandwich to surpass it but it did not. Still a great pick up when you are in the mood for a little kick.

4. Waffle Fries

Am I wrong or were these the first waffle fries to reach mass appeal? I know people who loved the trips to the mall more for the fries than the chicken. Using one of the dipping sauces with em is an outstanding play.

3. Nuggets

So bite-sized. So good by themselves. So good with sauce. Seriously, have you ever been to a gathering with a nugget tray where there have any been any nuggets leftover by the end? Me neither.

2. Chick-n-Minis

What an unbelievable addition to the lineup a few years ago. If they ever mess with the recipe of #1 the Minis will take the top spot. The first time I ate one was at the Clemson football press conference the week before theSouth Carolinagame in the mid 2000s. Herb Tyler of Chick-fil-A of Clemson/Seneca graciously brings in boxed lunches to these press conferences and surprised us with the new product. He called them “Gamecocks in a Blanket” and I didn’t know if this was a test menu item or not ( a year or two before that, they came out with spicy chicken nuggets which were outstanding and would definitely make the top 5, but prep/handling restrictions caused Chick-fil-A to retire them, at least in the Upstate South Carolina market). Thankfully for mankind, the Minis have stayed. In fact, if they were available after 10:30 AM they might be in the top spot, but that has to go to…

1. Original Chicken Sandwich

The mothership. For me, the quality of chicken combined with the buttered bread made this stand out immediately. I never liked pickles and used to order the sandwich sans pickles but a few years ago I said bring it on. Don’t know if it’s the fact that they are cooked in peanut oil but these things taste great and not as unhealthy as other chain sandwiches.

The Wife and I both love their cheesecake. My top 10 would look like yours except I would replace the lemonade with sweet tea and I would replace the brownie with cheesecake. I don’t think anything will ever beat the original chicken sandwich.

To verify the comment anbout #5: I am shocked, no, outraged at the low ranking of the spicy chicken sandwich! In the history of your storied chicken consumption (and seasoning preferences), I surely expected a no less than #2 ranking.

In my world, it’s #1 with a bullet, the go-to standard meal. While historically, the original has the years behind it, the taste of spicy is the best!

Is the “other receiving votes” in order? I’m equally surprised the spicy chicken biscuit didn’t crack the top 10…

The Spicy Chicken Sandwich, ordered with extra pickles and prepared with a packet-and-a-half of mustard and a packet of Texas Pete (available at your Chik-Fil-A condiment bar) is my standard Wednesday dinner selection. I eat it while watching my kids go nuts on the indoor playground.
That it landed at #5, below even a cleverly cut french fry, kind of categorizes you as a Baby-Boomer Chik-Fil-A enthusiast. Those of us Gen-X fans have traded nostalgia for adventure and might even move #5 to #1!
That said, this list has inspired me in one unrelated way… I am up for a shot at the Spicy Chicken Cool Wrap next trip. My quest to remove 22 pounds from my midriff generally takes a hit on Wednesdays. Perhaps this can change!